on December 05th, 2012

05

Dec

While some believe that the end of the Mayan calendar also indicates the end of the world come December 21, the city of Cancun has a different idea. And to prove it, a museum dedicated to Mayan culture has just swung open its doors on the Yucatan Peninsula.

It took six years and $15 million to build the Museo Maya de Cancún. The expected one million annual visitors can explore 350 artifacts, including the remains of a 10,000-year-old “Woman of the Palms,” as well as stone tools, art and an intriguing display of Mayan architecture (emphasizing the pyramids at Chichen Itza), among other relics.

The archeological Mayan site of San Miguelito, which was inhabited more than 800 years ago, is also now open to the public and located right next to the museum.

For a city whose playa and partying have been the destination draws for travelers over the years, the Maya Museum is a nice injection of culture and history to Cancun’s hotel zone.

To learn more about the Mayan culture and touring the museum, visit cancun.travel